Tooting & Mitcham United boss Craig Tanner has hailed his side’s do or die attitude, which has seen them draw only once since the end of August.

Moreover, he took the blame for the Terrors 3-1 defeat at Herne Bay, claiming he should have walked away from a pitch that turned unplayable in the second half.

The Terrors lie 14th in Ryman Division One South, and this weekend they could leap-frog Hythe Town in 10th when the north Kent side visit Imperial Fields.

After a poor start to the season, which saw just one win in the first seven games, the Terrors have entered a phase of win or lose football, leading to four wins and four defeats in the past eight games – leading to some rumblings among fans of inconsistency.

Tanner said: “We have developed as the season has gone on, and we are now a team that will go all out for a win, rather than settle for a draw.

“We play an open style of football, which suits us at home where we can unlock defences, but it doesn’t work so well away from home, we need to work on that.”

He added: “But it would not have mattered at Herne Bay, it was probably the worst pitch I have seen in my non-League days.

“The match should have been called off, but because we’d driven two hours to get there, and the alternative was a return on a Tuesday night when the pitch would have been even worse, we went for it.

“The lads played as well as they can and I told them afterwards that I take the blame for that one. It was disappointing, but we take it on the chin and move on.

“Fortunately we have a busy Christmas schedule to get straight back into it.”